Venetian blind



July 9, 1940. E, E* WOLFE 2,207,605

VENETIAN BLIND Filed April 22, 1938 :'iatenicd July 9, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Metal Tape Company, Los corporation o! CaliforniaCalif., a

Application April 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,493

The present invention relates to and has l'or an object the provision ofa Venetian blind which readily lends itself to a iire-proof, all metalconstruction anording the advantages ot simplicity, inexpensiveness,longer life and greater durability, as compared with the usu'al woodenor non-metallic Venetian blind.'

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a Venetian blind oi'the character described l which is so constructed and arranged that itmay be readily and easily installed thru the use of simply constructedspring brackets which support the blind under tension, whereby the slatsare held against unintentional movement out of li adjusted position, andthe blind is detachably secured in placerelative to a window or thelike.

Another object of this invention is to provide an all metal Venetianblind wherein the slats are joined by links and are constructed andarranged I in such manner that upon turning a hand wheel or likegrippingmember amxed to the lowermost or one of the lower slats, all ofthe slats maybe simultaneously turned or tilted as desired.

A further object is to provide a Venetian blind of the characterdescribed, which will not collapse when stood on end against a support,whereby the mounting and removal of the blind may be more readily andeasily eiected.

I have shown in the accompanying drawing a 80 preferred form of Venetianblind embodying my invention, subject, however, to modification withinthe scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Referring to the drawing:

35 Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of Venetian blind constructedand mounted in place in accordance with this invention; l

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the blind,particularly showing the man- 40 ner of mounting the same with thelmeans for turning the slats on their axes; y

Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane ofline 3-3 of Fig. 1, particularly showing the manner in which thespring45 brackets support the blind structure under tension;

Fig. 4 representsa sectional view taken on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig.1.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the

50, present embodiment oi the inventioncomprises a Venetian blind madeof a plurality of like slats i connected with one another by means ofrigid links 2 which are hinged thereto and hold the slats one above theother in assembled formation 56 and permit of the tilting thereof. Theupper and lower slats are provided with trunnions 3 `and 4 adapted to beengaged with spring metal brackets I and l secured to the window frame'I or like structures, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.' These brackets areinstalled so that they will be placed 5 under tension when the blind issupported thereby, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, and therefore theblind 'structure is placed under tension at the joints of the links andslats whereby the slats will effectively resist wind pressure and otherlo forces which would cause unintentional movement thereofv out oiadjusted or set position. Fluthermore this tension also sets upfrictional holding forces at the trunnions for the same purpose, yetupon appropriate turning of hand l5 Iwheels 8 xed to the outer ends ofthe trunnions 4 on the lowermost slat, the entire group of slats may betilted as desired, as is customary in Venetian blinds.

It is now seen that the blind of this invention, in view of theconstruction thereof and the rigid links, will substantially maintainits form without collapse when stood on one end and rested against awall or like upright support, and therefore may be quickly and easilymounted upon and removed from the brackets. In this connection it is tobe noted that the brackets may be readily mounted in place to providefor a convenient installation of the blind without requiring theservices of skilled labor or the use off any flxtures or devices otherthan four of the brackets so positioned as to be placed under tensionwhen the trunnions 3 and 4 are mounted thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 and3.

Preferably the slats are made of sheet metal and excepting the uppermostand lowermost thereof, each slat is formed of a single strip of metalhaving rolled edges deiining tubular beads 9. Pins I0 are frictionallyheld in these tubular beads and extend across recesses II formed in theslats so as to serve as hinge or pivot members for the links 2. y Theselinks are made of at and substantially rigid metal bars and each has atongue I2 at one end and a-slot I3 at its other end whereby the linkswill be alned when pivoted on the pins I0 in the recesses Il, as shownin Fig. 1. It is seen that the tongues I2 engage in the slots Il wherebyto add rigidity, yet permit of the necessary hinge or pivotal action.The ends of the links are rolled to form eyes or tubular beads I3'corresponding to the tubular beads 9 on the slots, and for reception ofthe pins III, as shown in Fig. 2. y

The uppermost and lowermost slats are preferably made of two like metalsections laid one 55 on theother, and spot welded or otherwise united.

The upper section has its longitudinal edges rolled tofform the tubularbeads 9. The beads 9 on these slats abut the longitudinal edges of theother sections of said uppermost and lowermost slats, as shown in Fig.3. 'I'he two sections of said uppermost and lowermost slats havecomplementary portions I4 extending longitudinally thereof to formsockets for the trunnions 3 and 4 and to provide reinforcing ribs onopposite sides of said slats. The trunnions 3 and 4 are secured in placeby pins l5 or other suitable fastening means.

To -provide for retention of the trunnions 3 and 4 on the brackets 2 thelatter have hookshaped and semi-cylindrical terminals I6 and thetrunnions are spool-shaped in that they are provided with flanges orshoulders I1 and I8 for engaging the side edges of said terminals I6.The trunnions 4 are hooked under the portions I6 of the lower bracket 4,whereas the trunnions 3 are rested upon the upper sides of the upperbracket 5, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby they place said brackets undertension for the purposes described.

I claim: A

1. A Venetian blind including a plurality of slats, links pivotallyconnected with and holding said slats in predetermined spaced relationto one another as a blind unit, trunnions on the uppermost and lowermostslats, and resilient blind supporting members in tensioned engagementwith said trunnions for setting up tensional stresses at the pivotalconnections of said links with said slats.

2.fA Venetian blind including a plurality of superposed slats, linksdisposed between and pivotally connected with said slats for holdingthem spaced and assembled for corresponding tilting thereof as a blindunit, and resilient means for supporting said blind unit with thepivotally connected parts thereof in tensioned frictional engagementwith one another to prevent unintentional movement thereof.

3. A Venetian blind including a plurality of slats, means pivotallyconnected with and holding said slats in predetermined spaced relationto one another as a blind unit, trunnions on the uppermost and lowermostslats, and resilient blind supporting members in tensioned engagementwith said trunnions for setting up tensional stresses at the pivotalconnections of said slats.

'4. A venetian build including a `plurality of superposed slats, rigidlinks disposed between Y I andpivotally connected with said slats forholding them spaced apart and tlltably assembled as a blind unit.trunnions on the uppermost and lowermost slats and fixed spring metalblind supporting brackets in tensioned engagement with porting bracketsin tensioned engagement with said trunnions for effecting a tensionedfrictional engagement of the links and slats thruout the blindstructure,` the trunnions on the uppermost slat being mounted upon theuppermost brackets and the trunnions on the lowermost slats beingengaged beneath the lowermost brackets, said links being alined invertical columns adjacent ends of said slats and having intertted tongueand slot terminals.

6. A Venetian blind including a plurality of in spaced relation to oneanother as a blind unit,

attaching means on the uppermost and'lowermost slats, and blindsupporting members for engaging said attaching means, at least one ofsaid members being resilient and in tensioned engagement with itsassociated attaching means for supporting the blind unit under tension.

'7. A Venetian blind including a plurality of slats, means connectingand holding said slats in spaced relation to one another as a blindunit, attaching means on the uppermost and lowermost slats, and blindsupporting members for detachably engaging said attaching means; vatleast one of said members being resilient and in tensioned engagementwith its associated attaching means for maintaining the blind unit undertension and permitting the attaching means on the lowermost slat to bedetached whereby the entire unit may be swung outwardly with theattaching means on the uppermost slat serving as the axis.

ERNEST E. -WOLFE.

30 f slats, means connecting and holding said slats

